Event description:
Do people really listen to you when you talk about your research? How long will they remember anything you said? Throughout my career as a scientist/science administrator, students, legislators, donors, university leaders, news media, friends, family and even professional colleagues are have told me that they don’t understand what scientists are saying. This breakdown in communication between science and the public has resulted in confusion, controversy and conspiracy theories.

In today’s presentation, we’ll discuss how communication (or the lack of it) has helped (hindered) my career in various science areas. We’ll talk about how at every level in our careers, the ability to explain our ideas and findings to others can be the deciding factor in securing a job, receiving funding, promoting government policy, or being a good teacher. In particular, we’ll talk about how good storytelling can make your research presentations come alive, have impact and persuade others that you’re terrific!

Career and Personal Highlights of Dennis Mangan, PhD.:
-Single parent (raised a daughter) while going to grad school/postdoc training.
-PhD in Microbiology with a postdoctoral experience in Cellular Immunology.
-Former Program Director and Senior Advisor (Infections Disease) at the NIH in Bethesda, MD, where he worked as part of the Human Microbiome Initiative.
-Former Associate Dean for Research the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he championed interdisciplinary programs for faculty and student research.
-Director and Founder of Chalk Talk Science, an organization dedicated to helping scientists become interesting, informative and entertaining speakers.